The Horse Trainer-M

[Sneesee]

Okay, I know I probably should finish up some of my other fetish fiction right now, but I couldn't help posting this one, too!

It's an original story, that combines my love of sneezy guys with colds, and horses! Hope you all enjoy!

The Horse Trainer

With the crisp morning air biting at her nose and cheeks, Melanie stepped out onto her porch and took a deep breath. The frosty air chilled her lungs, but it felt good to her. This time of year always cheered her up, and she craved the colder weather. As fall turned to winter, she always knew that her favorite holidays were just around the corner, and that always made her smile.

She leaned her forearms against the railing, and cupped both hands around her coffee mug. Steam from the hot coffee billowed around her face and filled her nostrils with its strong aroma. The combination of the coffee and fresh air really woke up all of her senses. The air certainly never smelled this good in the city.

As she surveyed her property, her gaze settled on the practice ring a few hundred feet away. The new horse trainer she’d hired was walking a horse into the ring. It seemed that he was about to start working with her most problematic steed, and the main reason she’d hired the guy. Wow, she thought, he’s out there bright and early.

With keen interest, she watched as he began to put the horse through several different gaits and exercises. It was a little strange seeing him at work already, because she hadn’t even officially met the man in person yet. So far, she’d only talked to him on the phone and through e-mail. Her stable manager, Luis, had informed her that the new trainer had arrived two days ago, but she’d been too busy to go and say hello to him. Today, since she had no other pressing matters, she intended to rectify that. Taking a swig of hot coffee, she hopped off the porch and headed across the gravel driveway to introduce herself to Rick.

As quietly as she could, she walked towards the ring. Her steps were sure and even until she was just a couple of feet away from the fence. A few scattered, wrinkled, and brown leaves crunched under her feet, and Rick’s head immediately swung around in the direction of the sound. His eyes scanned her up and down a couple of times before he turned his attention back to the horse. She blushed, but figured he wouldn’t notice because of how cold it was outside and the fact that her cheeks were probably already pretty red. She walked right up to the fence, and rested her arms on the top rail. Rick continued his work, oblivious to the fact that she was standing there and watching him.

She finished her coffee right about the same time he finished his session. He let the horse walk around the ring, with a loose grip on the lead. He turned again, and Melanie got a really nice side view of his face in the glint of the morning sun. The man was gorgeous. Beneath the brim of his navy blue baseball hat, his sun-kissed face was like a beacon to her. Whoa, she was momentarily stunned by the intense expression on his face as he stared at her. Even though it was below thirty degrees, she thought she might combust from the heat he generated with one look. After setting her whole body on fire, he turned himself around and concentrated on the horse again.

During the cool down walk, Melanie couldn’t help but pay very close attention to Rick. Even though his back was to her, she scrutinized every single move he made. He had reflexes like a cat, and handled the troublesome horse with so much ease. She was in awe. He finally brought the horse to a halt and walked right up to it. Then he gave him an affection pat on the muzzle, which was something Melanie hadn’t been able to do with the stubborn animal yet. As she pouted, she noticed that Rick had stopped petting the horse, and his body convulsed three times in a row.

Hmmm, that’s odd, she said to herself. Rick shook his head, and then glanced back at Melanie. She looked away, hoping he wouldn’t think that she was gaping at him or anything. Luis went into the pen, and Rick spoke to the older man in a hushed tone. Melanie wished she could hear what he was saying, but she knew it was all about the horse, so she figured Luis would fill her in later. Then Luis took the lead from Rick and led the horse back towards the stable.

Melanie gulped as the tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome trainer turned and headed directly towards her. He walked with a stride that exuded confidence, yet another reason she was glad she hired him.

“Hello,” he said in a deep voice.

Melanie was slightly startled, since his voice hadn’t sounded so husky on the phone.

“Hi there, you must be Rick,” she said. “I’m Melanie, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He tipped the brim of his hat up, and Melanie got a full frontal view of his face. The word handsome didn’t do this man justice. He was downright hot, with his dark and strong features, and the way he looked at her. No wonder the horses followed his every command, the man oozed a charm and sensuality that no one could possibly resist.

“It’s nice to m-meet,” he stopped and struggled with what he was saying for a moment. “H-heh-hang on.”

Melanie was a bit confused, until she noticed how his face began to contort and the shortness of the breaths he was taking. He gasped once, and then turned to his right side, holding his right hand up in front of his face.

“Esshhuh! Heshhuh! Heh-usshuh!”

She felt her heart miss a beat as she watched this man sneeze. They seemed to take over his whole body, bending him at the waist. He straightened himself up, shook his head again, and then gave her a shy half-smile.

“Excuse me,” he said, and then coughed.

“Bless you,” she said, knowing her voice was entirely too high as she spoke. She was amazed at how wonderful his sneezes were, and how completely adorable and embarrassed he looked afterwards. After watching him sneeze, she realized that he’d sneezed earlier, too, only she hadn’t been able to hear him. Gosh, his sneezes were lovely. Then he started sniffling, and rubbing at his nose, which turned a light shade of pink, which was difficult to see because of how tan his complexion was. “Are you okay?”

He sniffled wetly. “It’s nothing serious. I seem to be coming down with a cold.”

The words, I seem to be coming down with a cold, were like music to Melanie’s ears, and she replayed them over and over again inside her head.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Melanie said. Not really, her mind screamed at her. Ask him if he needs anything! “Maybe you should be in bed instead of out here in the freezing cold weather, then?”

He laughed, a deep, rich, baritone laugh that sent chills down her spine. “I think I’ll survive. It’s cold, but the fresh air feels good. Plus, I’m not exactly the type of guy who can lay around when I’m sick anyway.”

Looking at his muscular physique and broad shoulders, he was right. He didn’t look much like a man who sat around whether he was sick or not. What a shame, she thought. She found guys who totally succumbed to their colds very appealing. She’d love nothing more than to shower this man with attention while he sniffled, coughed, and sneezed all day long.

“Well, can I at least offer you a cup of coffee, or tea, or something? Then we can sit inside my warm house and discuss Eclipse?” she asked, hopefully. She even smiled at him sincerely, with the expectation that he wouldn’t be able to refuse her.

He hesitated a moment, and she was pretty sure that he was going to say no, which deflated her almost non-existent ego. Then his face scrunched up, his nose wrinkled, and his eyes fluttered closed. He thrust to the side once more to sneeze.

“Heshuhhh…eshhhhhuh! Uhhh-eshhhhuhh!”

“Bless you, Rick,” she said quietly.

“Thanks. I think I could probably use a cup of tea right about now, to warm up. But, I’ll only join you as long as you can put up with my sneezing,” he said, chuckling.

Put up with it? More like enjoy it, she laughed inside her head.

“I think I can manage a little sneezing,” she said, truly embarrassed at the way the discussion was headed. Thankfully, she knew her cheeks were already beet red, so he’d never know just how self-conscious she really was.

“Well, with me, it’s never just a little sneezing,” he teased. “Especially when I’m sick, then I feel like I have to sneeze all the time.”

Melanie shivered at the thought. He frowned and then said, “You look cold. Maybe we should head inside.”

She wished she could tell him her shivering had nothing to do with the cold.

“Yes, let’s go inside. Follow me,” she said.

# # #

Rick knew there was no way he could say no to this woman. He’d been intrigued by her from the moment he first spoke to her on the phone. She called him and convinced him how badly she needed him. He was in between jobs when he got the call, and even though he despised the cold midwestern winter weather, he couldn’t say no to her. There was some sort of stubbornness about her, yet there was desperation in her voice that told him she wasn’t so tough.

Now he was following her into the farmhouse for a cup of tea. Great. His grand hopes of appearing to be strong and fearless were totally ruined with the onset of his cold. Just one more reason he hated winter. At least back in Southern California, it would have been cool, not freezing. The drastic change in temperature must have done a number on his immune system. He hadn’t been able to stop sneezing since he woke up, and his throat and lungs burned. This was not exactly the impression he wanted to make on his new boss.

A surge of warmth hit him as they stepped inside the front door. The strong scent of cinnamon flooded his already sensitive nostrils. His nose tingled, and he wiggled it to try and quell a sneeze attack. It was no use. Right as Melanie turned to him to ask him a question, he doubled over as he gave in to the tickle.

“Hessshuh, esshhhuh, EHHHSSSSSUHHH!”

He sniffled and coughed once. Damn, he felt pretty weak and dizzy after those. They seemed to be getting stronger and heavier each time he sneezed.

“My goodness, bless you!”

Rick looked up through blurry eyes to see Melanie holding out a box of tissues to him. He grabbed one and then blew his nose, which had become clogged beyond belief.

“Thanks,” he said once he caught his breath. Then he followed her as she walked towards the kitchen.

“Do you always sneeze like that?”

The question caught him a bit off guard. No one had ever asked him anything like that before. Well, a few of the guys in the stables used to make fun of him for how often he sneezed, but no one ever seemed so concerned about it.

“Like what?” he asked.

She turned away from him to set the tissue box down on the counter and take off her coat. He sat down on one of her bar stools along the countertop and shook himself out of his coat.

“Um, I meant, I just wondered if you always sneezed three times in a row like that?”

She wouldn’t look at him, and that bothered him, but he figured he’d go ahead and answer her question anyway.

“Most of the time, yeah. Sometimes I get a few more, but usually it’s three. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, no real reason. Just making sure it was normal for you, and that it wasn’t something around here that was making you sneeze so much,” she laughed.

He didn’t buy that, but let it go. His head was way too stuffy to think about it anymore.

“So, other than your cold, how do you like it here so far?”

He watched her as she busied herself making his tea. How on Earth was he supposed to answer that honestly? Already, he was miserable and missed California.

“It’s fine, I guess,” he said half-heartedly.

She looked at him with a forlorn face. Wow, he’d stepped in it, big time. She could tell he wasn’t exactly happy.

“I mean, it’s only been a couple of days,” he said, trying to throw on some quick charm. “I just haven’t’ gotten settled yet. You have a very beautiful ranch here, Ms. Barnes.”

“Please, call me Melanie.”

“Right,” he said softly. “Melanie.”

“Look, I really appreciate the fact that you left sunny California to help me out here. I didn’t want to have to sell Eclipse, but that darn horse was getting on my last nerve. As I watched you with him today, I realized that I asked the right person to come and help me, and I owe you a huge thanks,” she said.

Rick was used to a certain amount of gratitude in his line of work. He often had the same response form other horse owners that loved their animals, but were so frustrated they didn’t even want to work with them. But somehow, her thanks seemed totally genuine, and it hit him right in the gut, hard, like a punch.

“It’s my job,” he said, acting like it was no big deal.

“Well, you didn’t have to come all the way out here, and I’m glad you said yes,” she said, handing him a steaming cup of tea.

He took a sip of the tea, which immediately soothed his throat. Again, he wasn’t about to admit that he couldn’t have said no to her. He didn’t want to tip his hand just yet.

“Eclipse is a gorgeous animal. I’d hate to see you have to sell him, especially to someone who might end up abusing him or something,” he said gruffly. He hadn’t meant to sound harsh again, but being ill wasn’t exactly helping him stay upbeat.

“I wouldn’t have done that,” she snapped, causing Rick to shake his head and regard her with surprise. She softened her look and continued, “I mean, I wouldn’t have just sold him to anyone. I would’ve made sure he had a great home before I did that. I do that with every horse I end up selling. It’s more like an adoption process, I just can’t sell an animal without knowing for sure that they will get great care.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I must sound like a complete ass right about now. I’m just irritable with this damn cold. I should probably excuse myself and go rest like you suggested earlier.”

Melanie smiled and Rick felt the warmth of it melt how icy cold he felt inside. She was genuine, that was for sure.

“Only after you finish that tea,” she said in an obviously fake, stern voice.

He laughed softly, “Yes, ma’am. Whatever you say.”

# # #

Melanie felt her whole body burst with self-satisfaction. Hearing Rick say those words boosted her confidence way more than she could’ve imagined. Funny that she was just beginning to think he was a self-centered bastard.

He finished his tea in silence, and then stood up.

“Thank you for the tea. Maybe we can talk some more tomorrow morning, after I’ve had some time to rest and hopefully start to shake this thing?”

“That sounds great. If you need anything, though, please don’t hesitate to come and ask me. Luis is going to his daughter’s for the rest of the weekend, so he won’t be available,” she explained. The thought of Rick lying around his quarters, sick and sneezing and alone thrilled her and saddened her at the same time. If only he needed her and her company…

“Oh, right. I think I’ll…heh…ahhhh…”

Melanie fought off the urge to shut her eyes as Rick struggled with the onset of another set of sneezes. She didn’t think it was possible, but every time his face went slack like that, he looked even more gorgeous than before.

“Eh-xcuuu…HEH…cuse me for a sehhh…”

She had never witnessed such a stunning build-up before and she could not tear her eyes away from him. His lips quivered, and his nostrils flared wildly. His eyelids fluttered and closed numerous times while his breathing came in quick gasps. With his right hand hovering in the air a few inches from his face, he turned to his side as soon as the sneezing started.

“Heh-ishhhuh, ehhhshhhuuuuu, EH-SHUUUHHH!”

“Bless you.”

“Thanks,” he said, grabbing another tissue and blowing his nose. “On that note, I think I’ll head to my quarters and get some sleep.”

“Great idea. But, if you need anything, anything at all, please stop by, okay?”

“Yeah, uh, thanks,” he said, and awkwardly made his exit.

With a heavy sigh, she cleaned up his teacup, and then walked over to her refrigerator. She opened the freezer door, and took out a large plastic container. Inside of the dish was some chicken soup she’d made earlier in the week. She stuck it in the fridge to defrost, because she had a feeling she was going to need it later. Then she went about her business of cleaning the kitchen, trying to get the thought of Rick and his constant sneezing out of her head.

TBC...

[Triosk1]

WOW!! As a very horsey person myself, this is an AMAZING story!!! I love the way you spelled out his sneezes.

[Bongo]

That story was absolutely amazing. I liked it a lot.

Edited January 25, 2007 by symphonyflute

[tma]

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! *eats up this fic and pounces you* Am LOVING it. Horses, and build ups, and colds, and YUM!!!! *re-reads and tries to wait patiently for more*

Oh.. and her thoughts.... omg! Love reading them... *grins*

[KawaiiKitty]

Fantastic! I'm enjoying this.

"If you can put up with my sneezing" Indeed. Loved that line, and I sure wish someone would say that to ME in real life...

[March Hare]

You know? Your style reminds me somewhat of Colleen McCullough's. I don't know if you've heard of her, but she is a top-notch Australian novelist. (I recommend especially 'The Thorn Birds', which will suit your finely-tuned romantic sense to perfection!) Because you are genuinely novel-romantic in what you write. There is much feeling and vivid character description. And YES, that's what I discern even from this one piece

And RAWR, this man you describe is le delicious. When I saw the title I half expected horse allergy, but goodness, this situation is much better than what I imagined. I love it! Chapeau!

[Dawnie]

That story was wonderful. It astonishes me that those stupid publishers at Harliquin are so blind as to not see how talented you are.

[Guest shiranui]

This was wonderful, I really love your stories, you have such a gift of writing

[Elle]

Yum. I like him already. I'm waiting for more.

[Aisha]

Wow! Sneesee, you have the wonderful gift of being able to turn any situation into a romantic masterpiece. This reads so naturally, like you haven't even revised it once. And I love horses too! I taught horseriding in the summer before my first year of university, and not ONCE did I witness a cute boy sneezing! So thank you for filling in the details of what I wish I got to see for myself!

...and...

“I think I can manage a little sneezing”

Mwahaha, this made me grin, I'm sure we can all manage a little of HIS sneezing....

[The Sneezster]

Again, kudos. You are a genuinely good writer, and it is a pleasure to read anything you put out.

[Kitty]

MM MM yes um yes and yes yet again - exactly what the doctor ordered and what I was in particular need...

Cannot wait to read the rest!@

Kitty

[daystar428]

I can't wait for more of this! The trainer just seems so darkly handsome that I couldn't hold myself together when reading this haha. I especially liked the seen where he tries to say excuse me through his build up....*sigh* just pure naughtyness! Hopefully the two will get together!!! awwww hehehe

[Aljana]

MMMM! Sneezy horsetrainer, definately a passion of mine. I've had a few in my 16 years of riding show horses. Sexy, yeah? And this story, total epitome! Thanks

Aljana

[(hippo)]

OMFG!!

“Well, with me, it’s never just a little sneezing,” he teased. “Especially when I’m sick, then I feel like I have to sneeze all the time.”

Riiiccckkk.......mmmmmmm.....

thankyou so so much for this. You are an amazing writer.

I love your style i like it how you switched from perspective all the time....cleeevvveerrr....

[Guest wouldyoucatchme]

Eep! So many talented writers in this forum!

But aww! The flow and style of your writing, it's very lovely. This was such a wonderful read in so many ways and I really loved and enjoyed it! You're such a great writer.

Can't wait for more!

[juliette]

Lovely story sneesee!!! Please write more, pretty please???

And thanks SillySanne for mentioning that Coleen author, you prompted me to go out and get a couple of her books and they were most enjoyable! I just wished the ThornBirds had a happy ending though

cyberhugs

juliette

[DougInUk]

You are very talented....loved reading this...I am at work and must remain seated for awhile.

[Vetinari]

Hmm....

Lovely fine cold weather... Gorgeous talented man with cold

Wish I was there. You write really well. If you feel like continuing it would be great....

[Sneesee]

Wish I was there. You write really well. If you feel like continuing it would be great....

Thanks everyone for your comments on this story! I really do appreciate them, possibly more than any of you could ever imagine. Seriously, I live to see others enjoy what I write, then I know I'm not crazy for writing it!

And, I am working on Part 2, I swear I am! I will try to have it posted by next week, if all goes well. So far, so good, because I really love these characters.

Thanks again, you guys! Y'all make me smile!

[Ciuty80]

Is there a mild chance you will continue this lovely thing? I know it's 10 years later but it was so nice

[starpollen]

I never read this before, but it’s lovely.  Such a shame there’s not more.  

[Usagi]

Oh my god I can't believe I missed this. I've lurked for years but never saw this! Horse allergies are fun in fics. Animal allergies are my least favorite but this is good, Rick is a cutie! Love it! 

[doglover111]

I love it!! I hope her allows some caregiving soon

[rockbell]

this is sooo good! please please please continue?!?!